The last Sunday of January will mark the beginning of Catholic Schools Week, our annual celebration of Catholic education. This year’s theme is “Catholic Schools Raise the Standards.” This is a particularly fitting theme for Catholic schools, which are known for a strong focus on academic excellence, high moral standards and faith development in our students.

All are invited to enjoy the arts with Queen of Angels this month. On Friday, October 12, visit an open house in the Fine Arts department of our parish school. And celebrate 40 years of sacred music with the adult choir at the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, October 21.

COME SING WITH US! If you love to sing and have a passion for sacred music, please consider auditioning for the Queen of Angels Adult Choir. As we celebrate the Choir’s 40th anniversary, we are looking to expand our voices and we are currently seeking volunteers from the congregation. The Choir will sing three Sundays each month. Rehearsals are conducted before and after Mass so there is a minimal time commitment. And if singing is not so much your thing but you still have a passion for music and some spare time on your hands, then join our supporting staff. We are always in need of extra hands to help organize our choir banquets, promote choir functions, and assist with the basic weekly needs of the many choirs at Queen of Angels Parish. To schedule an audition or to sign up as a non-singing volunteer, please contact Kent Jager at kjager@queenofangelschicago.org or call 773-719-1701. We would love to have you join us in music and fellowship this season.

ANKLEBITERS ON MONDAYS Are you a parent or caregiver of a small child? Join us at 10 a.m. on Mondays (when school is in session) in the school basement. Use the north play lot entrance and arrive by 10:30 a.m. to sign in. This group is for parents, caregivers and their children ages 3 and younger. For more information, contact Angie Foeller at 773-655-5843 or angie.foeller@gmail.com.

RESPECT LIFE HOLY HOURS ON FRIDAYS At Queen of Angels, we will hold Holy Hours on the Fridays of October. The next one will be at 7 p.m. this Friday, October 12 in the church. Each week we will include solemn exposition, bilingual rosary and benediction, other prayers and music dedicated to God’s greatest gift. Respect Life Month recognizes life in all its glory and in all its forms, providing opportunities to embrace the whole cycle of life with which humanity has been blessed, from conception to natural death. Please join us in praying the Luminous Mysteries this week.

PRAYERS FOR CARDINAL GEORGE Please pray for the Cardinal's health and healing as he undergoes chemotherapy during the next four months. Write a message of healing to Cardinal George online via www.archchicago.org/cardinal/ or mail a card to: Francis Cardinal George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago, 835 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611

WATCH YOUR BELONGINGS! When leaving the pew for any reason during the Mass, please take all of your personal belongings with you. It is too easy for someone to reach in the pew and take something that does not belong to them. Be safe!

A REFLECTION FROM SSVD... In today’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples, “Let the children come to me... for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” The majority of those helped by the Queen of Angels Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are children. If you know of a family in need, please contact the Parish Center at 773-539-7510.

REST IN THE DIVINE PRESENCE Every Friday, the Blessed Sacrament is placed out for veneration and prayer from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. To reach the Adoration Chapel, enter the church through the Claremont door, walk up the stairs, turn to the left and then to the left again. Walk down the passage behind the altar and enter the former baptistery where the Eucharist is exposed for veneration. Help us keep vigil with the Lord by making time on Fridays for these moments of prayer; you’ll feel closer to God by resting in the divine presence. Please sign the book when you enter.

REMEMBER A LOVED ONE Mass intentions may be offered in the name of friends or relatives, living or deceased, for those in need of extra prayers or in honor of a beloved saint. Suggested donation is $10 per Mass. Please call 773-539-7510.

BOX TOP CHALLENGE IS ON By popular demand, the Box Tops for Education classroom competition has begun. The fall challenge is underway and will run through December 1. The winner will be announced before Christmas break. Classrooms will be competing for a pizza party and money towards books for the classroom. Last year, there was so much excitement in only five months when we raised more than $1,400 for the school library. Let’s continue the excitement and effort, and get clipping! Visit www.boxtops4education.com and www.growinglocallearning.com to learn more ways to earn Box Tops through online purchases, online surveys and games or in-store Jewel-Osco purchases. Questions? Contact Mrs. Diaz at gdiaz@queenofangelschicago.org.

RES TO HOST OPEN HOUSES Junior high students and their families are invited to attend a Resurrection College Prep High School Open House for prospective students. School facilities will be available for touring, current students, staff and administrators will be on hand for questions. The Open House dates are from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, November 4 and from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, November 5. Eighth grade girls are also invited to shadow a current Resurrection student to experience the school. These opportunities are open on select Wednesdays. Call 773-775-6616, ext. 129.

STILL TIME FOR SUMMER TOILETRIES COLLECTIONThe Society of St. Vincent dePaul (SSVD) is still collecting travel– and individual-sized toiletries for the Franciscan Outreach Ministry, which runs one of the largest case management programs and shelters for the homeless in Chicago. Larger-sized toiletries are also being collected for Girls and Boys Town, a teen transitional shelter in the Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood. As summer vacation comes to an end, the Society of St. Vincent dePaul asks you to bring home a few souvenirs for those in need. A collection basket is in the Gathering Space at church. Thank you!

SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE UNDERWAYRemember the excitement of the new school year? Please consider helping the Society of St. Vincent dePaul provide school supplies to neighborhood children whose families have been helped through our food drives.

Celebrate our parish school through Catholic Schools Week, January 30-February 5, and stop by the Open House on Sunday, January 30 to register for the 2011-2012 school year. Some ways that all parishioners can share in our children's Catholic education are by joining the Trash-Free Tuesdays green initiative, supporting the Lyman Scholarship, or collecting Box Tops and Labels for Education.

St. Patrick High School invites all fifth through eighth grade boys and their families to an Open House from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, October 19. Call 773-282-8844, ext. 256.

Junior high girls and boys are invited to an Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, October 29 at Guerin Prep, 8001 W. Belmont Ave., River Grove. Call 708-453-6233, ext. 25.

St. Scholastica Academy will host an Open House for young women and their parents from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, November 2 at 7416 North Ridge. Call 773-764-5715, ext. 356.

Notre Dame High School for Boys, 7655 W. Dempster, Niles, will host an Open House for male junior high students and their parents from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, November 2.

Fall Open House for St. Gregory the Great High School will be noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, November 5 at 1677 W. Bryn Mawr. Call 773-907-2127.

Resurrection High School, 7500 W. Talcott, will sponsor an Open House from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, November 9 and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, November 19 for grade school girls and their families. Call 773-775-6616, ext. 129.

St. Benedict High School, a coeducational facility at 3900 N. Leavitt, will host an Open House from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, November 12. Call 773-539-0066.

Loyola Academy, 1100 Laramie Ave., Wilmette, will host an Open House at the coeducational school from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, November 16. Call 847-920-2427.

QUEEN OF ANGELS SCHOOL OPEN HOUSETo celebrate Catholic Schools Week, all are invited to an Open House and Informational Tour of the parish school from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, January 29 at 4520 North Western Avenue. This is a special invitation for new families so they can familiarize themselves with the facilities and programs offered. School staff and children will be in attendance.

Queen of Angels School offers programs for children from Preschool through Eighth Grade. Students develop sound academic skills, critical thinking skills and an ability to learn independently and cooperatively through a rich academic curriculum. Each day is designed to bring new excitement and opportunities to engage in meaningful learning. For information, call 773-769-4211 or visit the website at www.queenofangelschicago.org